How to Bring Healthcare Automation to the Credentialing Process to Save Time and Efforts?

The manual process of healthcare credentialing is tedious and time-consuming. Considering the paperwork involved, it can take 2-3 months to complete the physician credentialing process. Complex applications, arduous reviewing, stringent background checks, cross-checking procedures, and validation of licenses and certifications are many processes involved in healthcare credentialing. Due to the nature of the healthcare industry, these are all critical requirements toward quality maintenance and risk management.   

If your healthcare organization struggles to manage these complexities and pays a whopping cost toward these services, it’s time to consider process automation. Never has it been more critical to adopt a medical credentialing software than now in the wake of COVID-19.   

Manual Vs. Automated Credentialing Process  

Every healthcare organization needs to carefully evaluate their credentialing requirement to gauge whether they would prefer the manual process or if they would benefit from automating physician credentialing. In most cases, automation in physician credentialing is the preferred option, owing to its advanced capabilities. Below is a detailed description of both sides of the coin for increased clarity.   

The manual process of healthcare credentialing involves the following steps:  

The processes mentioned above take far longer to complete and take the complete process far longer, approximately 2-3 months. Any error along the way can result in a severe impediment and sometimes disastrous results. Finally, the traditional way is no longer in tune with a speedily developing landscape of technologically dynamic healthcare processes.   

Now, credentialing automation will undertake the steps mentioned above, but in a robust, swift, and optimized fashion. Healthcare providers stand to gain a considerable competitive advantage through an automated credentialing process. The benefits of healthcare automation in practice management, electronic data exchange, population health management, patient engagement systems, and medical records management are visible across the industry.   

With the onset of automation in digital credentialing, the following processes can be optimized:  

1. Application of medical informatics to create intelligent workflows for collection and verification of physician information.   

2. HIPAA compliant solutions for the security of healthcare data  

3. Healthcare analytics solutions towards the submission of physician credentials  

4. Reference checks, malpractice security, criminal record checks, etc., through cloud computing in healthcare.   

Even though certain process elements may fall outside the purview of credentialing automation, a significant chunk of the credentialing process can be swiftly achieved through provider credentialing software. A manual process that generally takes 60-90 days can be completed in 6-7 days through automated credentialing in healthcare staffing.   

5 Reasons to opt for Software Automated Credentialing:   

1. Streamlined Processes: Process automation in credentialing can reduce manual time spent on the job by up to 3-5 hours a day to fill in rigorous paperwork. An automated credentialing platform integrating electronic health records with physician records can offer advanced efficiency by eliminating redundancies and errors. Medical credentialing software collates data from multiple sources and stores it on a central platform for quick retrieval and efficient management. The automated checks, alerts, and notifications can save hundreds of hours in manual labor and get the job done with higher efficiency.   

2. Decreased Complexities: Electronic medical credentialing software for physicians automatically reduces the paperwork involved with manual processes. Not only are credentialing staff free of paper-based processes, but providers no longer need to fill out lengthy paper forms. Automating physician credentialing can incorporate credentialing into their purview for all-rounded service offerings. Automation to the credentialing process offers increased accessibility to provider qualifications. Moreover, virtual meetings can be organized to assess provider credentials across multiple locations with automated medical credentialing services.   

3. Reduced Operational Costs: According to a recent study, automation of the credentialing process can save a health facility approximately $30,000 annually. Costly processes have a devastating effect on healthcare organizations and stagnate them from moving ahead in the game. An automated credentialing process is a sure shot way to reduce the cost of manual processes drastically. Adopting healthcare automation solutions is an essential matter for all organizations to mull over. Tailor-made software credentialing in healthcare allows the health facility to choose the features relevant to their own specific needs. Based on specific requirements, cost-efficient software can be developed to address suitable needs. Deployment of automated health systems may require a start-up cost, but it offers significant cost savings in the long run.   

4. Increased Viability: Automation for healthcare can be applied to physician credentialing software to ensure compliance with the healthcare credentialing regulations and requirements. Deadlines and renewal requirements are accessible through reminders in credentials automation. Automated tracking of licenses, certificates, and other relevant information about providers can be a handy tool. Providers who are already on the system can update their certifications and licenses with ease. Tracking and reporting can also lend themselves toward information on medical incidences, including red flags.  

5. Reduced Errors: According to a recent study, medical errors are responsible for over 95,000 deaths across the U.S. This is where automation of the credentialing process comes into play. Healthcare professionals and facilities can ensure patient safety and security with the appropriate protocols, licenses, and certificates in place. An automated credentialing data management solution that offers healthcare interoperability and integrated care management can minimize or even eliminate the possibility of medical errors. In the larger scheme of things, this approach benefits the healthcare industry as a whole. The bottom line remains that patients look for healthcare providers that know their job and will undertake it safely.   

Conclusion  

At present, the healthcare industry is going through a hard time cutting down on costs and transitioning towards accountable care. This involves the integration and automation of critical processes across the entire continuum of care. The complexities and pressures associated with COVID-19 and the evolving federal norms have put healthcare organizations under pressure like never before.   

Automation to the credentialing process could not have arrived at a more prudent time. It is strategically capable of reducing complex credentialing workflows, managing revenue generation, and speeding up operational demands. Embracing this automation technology will ensure optimization, efficiency, and agility and secure your health facilities’ position within a highly competitive landscape.